登陆注册
15316000000011

第11章 The Story of the Seven Simons(1)

Far, far away, beyond all sorts of countries, seas and rivers, there stood a splendid city where lived King Archidej, who was as good as he was rich and handsome.His great army was made up of men ready to obey his slightest wish; he owned forty times forty cities, and in each city he had ten palaces with silver doors, golden roofs, and crystal windows.His council consisted of the twelve wisest men in the country, whose long beards flowed down over their breasts, each of whom was as learned as a whole college.This council always told the king the exact truth.

Now the king had everything to make him happy, but he did not enjoy anything because he could not find a bride to his mind.

One day, as he sat in his palace looking out to sea, a great ship sailed into the harbour and several merchants came on shore.Said the king to himself: 'These people have travelled far and beheld many lands.I will ask them if they have seen any princess who is as clever and as handsome as I am.'

So he ordered the merchants to be brought before him, and when they came he said: 'You have travelled much and visited many wonders.I wish to ask you a question, and I beg you to answer truthfully.

'Have you anywhere seen or heard of the daughter of an emperor, king, or a prince, who is as clever and as handsome as I am, and who would be worthy to be my wife and the queen of my country?'

The merchants considered for some time.At last the eldest of them said: 'I have heard that across many seas, in the Island of Busan, there is a mighty king, whose daughter, the Princess Helena, is so lovely that she can certainly not be plainer than your Majesty, and so clever that the wisest greybeard cannot guess her riddles.'

'Is the island far off, and which is the way to it?'

'It is not near,' was the answer.'The journey would take ten years, and we do not know the way.And even if we did, what use would that be? The princess is no bride for you.'

'How dare you say so?' cried the king angrily.

'Your Majesty must pardon us; but just think for a moment.Should you send an envoy to the island he will take ten years to get there and ten more to return--twenty years in all.Will not the princess have grown old in that time and have lost all her beauty?'

The king reflected gravely.Then he thanked the merchants, gave them leave to trade in his country without paying any duties, and dismissed them.

After they were gone the king remained deep in thought.He felt puzzled and anxious; so he decided to ride into the country to distract his mind, and sent for his huntsmen and falconers.The huntsmen blew their horns, the falconers took their hawks on their wrists, and off they all set out across country till they came to a green hedge.On the other side of the hedge stretched a great field of maize as far as the eye could reach, and the yellow ears swayed to and fro in the gentle breeze like a rippling sea of gold.

The king drew rein and admired the field.'Upon my word,' said he, 'whoever dug and planted it must be good workmen.If all the fields in my kingdom were as well cared for as this, there would be more bread than my people could eat.' And he wished to know to whom the field belonged.

Off rushed all his followers at once to do his bidding, and found a nice, tidy farmhouse, in front of which sat seven peasants, lunching on rye bread and drinking water.They wore red shirts bound with gold braid, and were so much alike that one could hardly tell one from another.

The messengers asked: 'Who owns this field of golden maize?' And the seven brothers answered: 'The field is ours.'

'And who are you?'

'We are King Archidej's labourers.'

These answers were repeated to the king, who ordered the brothers to be brought before him at once.On being asked who they were, the eldest said, bowing low:

'We, King Archidej, are your labourers, children of one father and mother, and we all have the same name, for each of us is called Simon.Our father taught us to be true to our king, and to till the ground, and to be kind to our neighbours.He also taught each of us a different trade which he thought might be useful to us, and he bade us not neglect our mother earth, which would be sure amply to repay our labour.'

The king was pleased with the honest peasant, and said: 'You have done well, good people, in planting your field, and now you have a golden harvest.But I should like each of you to tell me what special trades your father taught you.'

'My trade, O king!' said the first Simon, 'is not an easy one.If you will give me some workmen and materials I will build you a great white pillar that shall reach far above the clouds.'

'Very good,' replied the king.'And you, Simon the second, what is your trade?'

'Mine, your Majesty, needs no great cleverness.When my brother has built the pillar I can mount it, and from the top, far above the clouds, I can see what is happening: in every country under the sun.'

'Good,' said the king; 'and Simon the third?'

'My work is very simple, sire.You have many ships built by learned men, with all sorts of new and clever improvements.If you wish it I will build you quite a simple boat--one, two, three, and it's done! But my plain little home-made ship is not grand enough for a king.Where other ships take a year, mine makes the voyage in a day, and where they would require ten years mine will do the distance in a week.'

'Good,' said the king again; 'and what has Simon the fourth learnt?'

'My trade, O king, is really of no importance.Should my brother build you a ship, then let me embark in it.If we should be pursued by an enemy I can seize our boat by the prow and sink it to the bottom of the sea.When the enemy has sailed off, I can draw it up to the top again.'

'That is very clever of you,' answered the king; 'and what does Simon the fifth do?'

'My work, your Majesty, is mere smith's work.Order me to build a smithy and I will make you a cross-bow, but from which neither the eagle in the sky nor the wild beast in the forest is safe.The bolt hits whatever the eye sees.'

'That sounds very useful,' said the king.'And now, Simon the sixth, tell me your trade.'

同类推荐
  • 公孙龙子注

    公孙龙子注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太玄真一本际妙经

    太玄真一本际妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 鬼谷四友志

    鬼谷四友志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 黄箓斋十天尊仪

    黄箓斋十天尊仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 摩诃止观义例科

    摩诃止观义例科

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 脉动2010

    脉动2010

    千年前的异世来客,如今的通灵少年。为了追逐青梅竹马的谏山黄泉,他放弃了内心渴望的平静的生活。名为不败的少年哟,迎着夕阳挥洒青春吧!目前有妹子一名,可惜不是软的……现今出场人物主要来至《草莓100%》、《食灵》、《幽游白书》……友情提示:更新较慢PS:有建议的话,请发书评(我很高兴的)再PS:骂人者请自重
  • 混沌末世行

    混沌末世行

    创世之初,诸神齐临,万族共存。然而,三千年前,神与万族皆散,唯存人族,成为了混沌大陆的主宰种族。在那远离大陆的深海之下,一位龙族少年,怀着对外界的向往,对自由的渴望,开启了一段故事。然而,他所不知道的是,这一切,已是冥冥中注定的,当他踏上混沌大陆的那刻,末世,开启了。追随着命运的安排,在这混沌大陆最后的纪元里,拾取那遗失的历史。上古秘闻,诸神之战,千年守候,最终布局,都将在这最后的灭世纪,一一展现
  • 南方的风筝

    南方的风筝

    许多年后的今天,才发现,我就好像是一只风筝,无论去到哪里,线的另一端都死死的系在南方的那座小城里,也把天空分成三份,左边是我难以忘怀的过去,右边是我努力挣扎的现在,而身后,则是让我感到恐惧的未知的将来。
  • 杀手亦倾城傻王狂追

    杀手亦倾城傻王狂追

    她,杀手之王,名紫随风他,扮猪吃老虎,傻王君胥离一个既无情亦有情;一个腹黑亦专情。小片段:“风儿,我被锡王欺负了!”某王爷说道。“什么?走!我去帮你教训他!”这文原名绝色医妃腹黑王爷狂追,但是只因那个号用不了了,我就换了。
  • 隋唐演义

    隋唐演义

    此书以隋唐史事为背景,以隋炀帝、朱贵儿和唐明皇、杨玉环这对轮回恋人的“两世姻缘”的风流艳情故事为框架,描写了从隋文帝起兵伐陈到唐明皇还都去世前后170多年的历史。讲述了秦琼、徐懋功、程咬金、李靖、尉迟恭、罗成等人反隋兴唐的英雄传奇,描述了精场帝的宫闹秽闻与唐玄宗的帝妃恋情,以及唐太宗李世民收纳反隋英雄,玄武门杀兄夺权,开创大唐盛世的武功文治,以及唐玄宗宠爱杨贵妃导致安史之乱的悲剧结局。
  • 雪柠自己的初恋故事

    雪柠自己的初恋故事

    这是本大大自己的故事,本大大写的时候,也写哭了
  • 巨星演绎请俯首

    巨星演绎请俯首

    冷恩允这辈子最幸运的事情或许应该就是遇见了叶笙离,堂堂冰海国际的总裁,被这位总裁收入门下,在叶笙离的帮助下,恩允渐渐深入了娱乐圈,变得越来越有名气,在成名之路上,恩允和叶笙离的心也在彼此慢慢的靠近,可却在那一天,那个自己拿国际大奖的一天,失去了自己要护一世安宁这辈子最重要的人,自己最亲的闺蜜也被逼出了国,冷恩允决定退出娱乐圈,,两个月的退娱,两个月的恢复,女王华丽回归,这一次,她会一样一样的向那个人讨回来,从今以后,在她冷恩允的字典里,不会再出现心慈手软这四个字。女王回归,看恩允如何重新演绎国际巨星......
  • EXOPLANT之微光迷离

    EXOPLANT之微光迷离

    中学女生夕染身材高挑,长相完美,充满中性魅力,在学校的跆拳道有着超高人气。偶然一次机会,夕染在家中的阁楼屋找到一些“画纸”,发现上面所画的幻景存在于一个叫EXOPLANT的地方,而失踪多年的爸爸正是来自EXOPLANT。更不幸的是,妈妈此刻已到了癌症晚期,为了让妈妈安心走完生命的最后时光,夕染决定独自一人踏入异世寻找爸爸。流落到EXOPLANT西部的夕染男扮女装,隐藏自己的身份进入帝国魔法学院,并和EXOPLANT的12王子成为朋友。
  • 赛罗奥特曼之守护奇迹

    赛罗奥特曼之守护奇迹

    一梦生死,过去,未来,到底哪个是虚妄?回到过去,是遵循原来的轨迹?还是创造一个不一样的未来?改变命运,到底改变的是.....她?还是自己?且看赛罗如何大战群雄,逆天改命,在守护之途上,创造一个不一样的奇迹!
  • 紫冷公主pk酷冰王子

    紫冷公主pk酷冰王子

    她,有着惊人的能力,完美的身材,超好的家庭背景,却很冷酷、、、她,有着惊人的能力,完美的身材,超好的家庭背景,也很可爱、、、她,有着惊人的能力,完美的身材,超好的家庭背景,又很清新、、、、、、他,有着完美的一切,却很冷酷、、他,有着完美的一切,也很花心、、、他,有着完美的一切,又很温柔、、、、、、他们会擦出怎样的爱情火花呢?